Introduction
Softaculous is a popular software auto-installer used by many web hosting companies. It simplifies the process of installing various applications on a website. However, sometimes, you might encounter an error message that says 'An installation already exists at https://yourdomain.tld'. This article aims to help you understand why this error occurs and how to resolve it.
Why Does This Error Occur?
This error message typically appears when Softaculous has previously installed an application at the specified domain, and the installation was not properly removed within the Softaculous user interface (UI). This can happen even if the application files were manually deleted from the server. Softaculous keeps a record of its installations, and if it doesn't register that an application has been removed, it will prevent new installations at the same location to avoid conflicts.
How to Resolve This Error
To resolve this issue, you need to remove the previous installation record from within the Softaculous UI. Here are the steps to do so:
- Log in to your cPanel and navigate to the Softaculous Apps Installer.
- On the Softaculous dashboard, find the 'All Installations' icon in the top right corner and click on it. This will take you to a page showing all the applications installed by Softaculous.
- Find the installation that corresponds to the domain where you're trying to install the new application. If the files were manually deleted but the installation still appears on this page, this is likely causing the error.
- Next to the installation, you'll see a red 'X' icon. Click on this icon to remove the installation record from Softaculous.
- A confirmation dialog will appear. Click 'Remove Installation' to confirm.
Once you've completed these steps, the previous installation record should be removed, and you should be able to install the new application without encountering the 'An installation already exists' error.
Conclusion
While Softaculous makes it easy to install applications, it's important to manage these installations properly to avoid errors. If you're manually deleting applications installed by Softaculous, remember to also remove the installation record from within the Softaculous UI. This will help prevent conflicts and ensure a smooth installation process for new applications.